FAA grounds 787s

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Due to a safety risk involving lithium batteries installed in Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has grounded U.S.-registered planes.
United Airlines is the only American carrier currently operating the craft and has six 787s in its fleet.
According to a statement, the FAA pledges to work on a corrective plan as soon as possible to get the planes back in the sky.
Japan Airways has already grounded its Dreamliners after a battery incident on Wednesday morning. A previous battery incident had occurred Jan. 7.
In a statement, Boeing reinforced the idea that the 787, overall, is safe to fly.
"Boeing is committed to supporting the FAA and finding answers as quickly as possible. The company is working around the clock with its customers and the various regulatory and investigative authorities,” Boeing Chief Executive Officer Jim McNerney said in a statement. "We are confident the 787 is safe, and we stand behind its overall integrity. We will be taking every necessary step in the coming days to assure our customers and the traveling public of the 787's safety and to return the airplanes to service.”
The FAA had previously decided to review the plane’s design, manufacture and assembly due to two lesser issues with planes operated by Japan Airways and All Nippon Airways. The review, which was to be a joint undertaking between the FAA and Boeing, would also examine how the electrical and mechanical systems interact. - Jon Ross